“优雅的文明”——论辜鸿铭的理想文明观

“Elegant Civilization”:on Gu Hongming’s Concept ofIdeal Civilization

辜鸿铭用“优雅”来指称他的理想文明,认为文明的本质即道德。“优雅的文明”通过塑造道德人格来建立道德秩序,从而使物质力量、物质欲望在道德的统摄下朝着健康的方向发展。他的“优雅的文明”观符合中国传统典籍中对“文化”的阐释,是对启蒙以降的唯科学主义、物质主义文明观的反拨;同时,鼓舞了国内学人对传统文化的信心,并启迪了国内对“五四”全盘西化、激进主义的反思。

Gu Hongming referred to his concept of ideal civilization as elegance,which emphasizes that the essence of a civilization falls on its morality.An elegant civilization can establish a kind of moral order through its capability of cultivating moral personality and keep the material force and desire controlled by morality in its healthy direction.His elegant civilization corresponds to the interpretations of culture in traditional Chinese classics and corrects the materialism and scientism arising from Enlightenment.It also raises the confidence of Chinese scholars on traditional Chinese culture and evokes reflections on radicalism and wholesale westernization of the May 4 th Movement.